Garry Shandling Dies

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I was picking up my ticket to the concert last night when I saw a "trend" on Facebook that said Garry Shandling had died. I was crushed. Garry Shandling was never a "big" name in comedy. He was tame and clean in an era of Eddie Murphy and Sam Kennison profanity. In 1986 he created and starred in It's Garry Shandling's Show, one of the most innovative television series in history. Airing on Showtime for four years, it broke down the mythical "fourth wall," where Shandling frequently gave asides to the storyline or situations in the show to the viewers. Its theme song was quirky and hilarious (a clip below shows Flo and Eddie, the Turtles of "Happy Together" fame, singing it). After that he created and starred in yet another ground-breaking show, The Larry Sanders Show.. The Emmy-winning TV series aired on HBO, where they could be more "adult" with the humor. It was set backstage at a TV talk show hosted by Larry Sanders (played by Shandling). On Wednesday (March 23) Shandling was complaining of not feeling well. His doctor advised him to go to the emergency room if he didn't feel better the next day. On Thursday (March 24) he reportedly collapsed as he was calling 911. Garry Shandling was 66. Here's the Turtles doing the theme to It's Garry Shandling's Show